Keep Going Strong

The air was thick with smoke, as flames tore through buildings. The sound of people screaming in pain and anguish pierced Freydis’s heart as she dodged between protestors holding signs, torches, and weapons of all sorts. What had started as a peaceful protest was becoming anything but. The soldiers had already begun shooting and setting fire to homes.

“Elias!” she screamed, smoke burning her lungs with every breath, “Elias, where are you?!”

Pushing blindly through the throng, as the smoke intensified, her eyes and lungs burned worse with every second, but she could not escape, not until she found Elias. Words over loudspeakers meshed with the shouts from people, she was unable to hear the words, but knew none of it was friendly. She vaguely wondered how many more loved ones would be lost tonight.

“Freydis!” a familiar voice said, as strong arms wrapped around her, pulling her into an alley where the smoke was not so imposing.

“Eli! I have been looking all over-”

“Listen to me, please. I need you to get out of here. The government wants me, and will stop at nothing until I am caught. If they find you, they’ll torture you for any information they can get. You need to go!”

“Come with me!”

“No… I can’t. If they don’t get their hands on me, they’re going to keep burning the city and killing those who don’t give me up. I can’t let them keep hurting people, Frey.”

“If they want you, they need to get through me. We’ve gone through so much, and I’m as much a part of this as you are. I’ve brought as many people into the rebellion as you have. “

“And that is why you can’t go down with me. I need you to keep doing our work; fighting the tyranny that is our government. Don’t let them snuff beauty out of our life. Don’t let them take the last bits of freedom we have managed to salvage. Keep putting in the work we’ve put so much effort into. Our people need you, Frey.”

New tears burned in her eyes, these ones not due to smoke, “Elias, they need you more than me. I’m as much the cause of this, but you are the one who gives us all hope. Without you, there is nothing to keep these people going. After this burning and pillaging, no one will dare to rebel anymore. They will all lie down and do as they are told. It is going to go back to people not daring to smile at one another. Children, afraid to play.”

Elias’s eyes filled with tears as his hand raised to cup Freydis’s cheek, “You are stronger than you know; our people will follow you in a heartbeat. You’re a leader, I was always just the face of rebellion. With you, things can change and become better. Please, do this for me. Keep people fighting against this; break our communities free, so that we can enjoy beauty and have a life worth living. We’re nothing more than slaves here, Frey. Worker bees who have no choice in the life we live. We can’t make art, we can’t make music. Hell, we can't even make love without signed permission. You can beat this.”

Freydis felt her lungs burning, and ignored that pain, the one filling her heart was more intense, “I can’t, don’t you see? I don’t have it in me to fight if you’re not by my side. These people? They don’t believe in me; they believe in you.”

“Please, Frey. Here, I made this for you…” Elias placed something in Freydis’s hand.

She forcefully wiped her eyes and looked down; through the haze of smoke, she could see a small silver pendant on a chain. Pulling it closer to her face, she saw that it was a rough, heart-shaped pendant, with words hastily carved in Keep Going Strong.

“I don’t think I can Eli; they’ve taken everything from me: Mom, Dad, Liah… I can’t be strong without you.”

“You can… Because it isn’t a choice. I’m giving myself up to save you and the others. If you follow suit, I’ll have died in vain, and the people who have put their trust in us will have no one to depend on. You need to stay alive and stay strong. You’ll have to pretend for a while, but get yourself and the others out of here. Escape.”

Elias pressed his lips firmly against Freydis’s with an intensity she had never felt from him. When he pulled away, her heart was racing differently than before, and there was a whole new fire in his eyes. For a brief moment, it was as if the chaos around them faded into the background and they were in their own world together, where everything made sense.

Too soon, that world shattered, and the screams filled her ears. The firelight shone on Elias’s face, casting a terrifying look there, and Freydis knew there was nothing she could say or do to keep Elias from doing what he felt was right; it was one of the countless things she loved about him.

Without another word, Elias disappeared into the crowd of people, scrambling to distance themselves from the government assault. She squeezed herself between people, still half convinced she could keep Elias safe. When she reached the front of the crowd, where the government had brought in military, guns, pepper spray, and even grenades; they were glaring at everyone mercilessly. Bodies writhed on the ground, screaming in agony; some had stopped moving and given in to the sweet freedom Death offered.

From her right, Freydis saw a figure disengaged from the crowd and knew without looking that it would be Elias. As she forced her eyes in his direction, she saw one camouflage-clad man release a German Shepherd, which bounded forward and pinned Elias to the ground. He fell with a grunt as the dog stood on his chest, snarling in his face. Freydis wanted nothing more than to rush to his side.

“Heel boy,” the soldier commanded; the dog immediately stood to the side and waited for further command. They want us to behave like that dog, Freydis thought, as her breath came in quick, painful gasps, “You’re the one we’ve been looking for. Finally making the smart choice to stop your followers from further pain,” the man smiled cruelly.

“You are all a bunch of terrorists,” Elias spat as he stood up and faced the soldiers gathering around him, “you’ve taken away all of our freedom and locked us into these camps and expect us to have no joy. You punish people for speaking to others; you hurt children for being children. You can kill me, you can take away our freedoms, but there will always be another uprising. People are not meant to sit in silence and work like robots. We were born to live. You may have this group down, but another will rise and another, until they’ve succeeded. Me? I’m just one of many. Make an example of me, and they’ll just keep coming.”

All of the soldiers raised their weapons, unmoved by Elias’s words. As they all waited for the command to take Elias down, he stared at each of them, unflinching. The tension in the air was thick, and melded with the cloying smoke, making it difficult to breathe. The screaming had all but stopped; people were coughing and struggling to catch their breath. Nobody dared to move, lest gain the attention of the guns that favored Elias.

“Elias, as the man who rallied these fools into following you, you have caused many of them to die tonight. If they had not been led to rebel against the law, they would still be alive and well. Does this make you feel any remorse?” The soldier in front questioned.

Freydis saw the muscles in Elias’s jaw clench, “No. I feel only pride for those who stood by me and fought for what we all believed in. We deserve freedom. For too long, government officials are the only ones who are afforded any freedom, it is time for a change. We live in these run down huts, we cannot play, laugh, love, or make art of any kind. Somehow you have convinced many that this is the way of life, but some of us remember a time when we were free. We deserve that freedom again. I refuse to beg for mercy when I’m not sorry for what I’ve done.”

The soldier made a gesture and those behind him lowered their weapons. He stepped forward, a crease forming in his brow; a sheen of sweat had formed on his tan skin, making his face shine in the firelight. As he stepped forward, he pulled a knife from his pocket and flicked it open.

“You mock our government, as if they have not been providing your livelihood and shelter for the past several years. The government deserves your respect and obedience; your life can be taken away just as your livelihood was given.”

“These people deserve freedom. I led them into this; I should be the only one persecuted.”

“As far as we’re concerned,” the soldier said, stepping closer, “You’re all guilty here, you’re just the ring leader. I don’t care if these fools die of smoke inhalation, as long as the survivors understand mutiny won’t be tolerated in any amount,” He jabbed his knife into Elias’s torso.

“Okay then,” Elias glanced down at his wound, as if it was nothing, “I suppose this is how we’re doing it,” Elias pulled out what appeared to be a piece of plumbing from the waistband of his jeans. He threw it past the soldiers into a fire on the far side of their vehicles. All at once, the soldier's expressions went from contempt to alarm, but it was too late. The explosion blew the trucks off their tires, rolling one onto its roof. Two of the soldiers were pinned under the truck, screaming in pain; the rest of the men scattered, scrambling to get away in case there was another explosion. The soldier closest to Elias has fallen to the ground to take cover.

In the chaos, most of the soldiers had dropped their weapons. Freydis leapt forward and grabbed one of their automatic rifles; as she did, she noticed that Elias had done the same. While the soldiers had lost their bearings, the pair raised their newfound weapons.

“I gave you the option to take me and go, but you’ve forced our hands,” Elias said; as if in sync, the two opened fire on the frozen soldiers. The bullets flew, soldiers scrambled to take cover behind one another. Civilians behind them ran for cover.

After what seemed like an eternity of gunfire, they ran out of ammunition. Elias and Freydis locked eyes for a brief moment, sharing a triumphant look, and Elias collapsed to the ground with a grunt. Freydis let out a strangled scream and ran to his side. The knife wound had caused severe bleeding from Elias’s stomach, and his shirt was saturated. Freydis tore the fabric off him, so that she could use it to put pressure on the wound. As she met Elias’s eyes, her heart sank. His face was too pale and he had a distant look in his eyes.

“Hey, Frey. I thought you were leaving like… like I asked.”

“I’m pretty sure my disobedient nature was what you always loved about me,” She laughed shakily.

“I love you. Keep them all safe. You can do it… Frey,” Elias’s breath caught in his throat, as his eyes pinched closed in a grimace.

Tears fell from Freydis’s eyes, as she stared forward, feeling numb. She held Elias until his breathing had stopped for countless moments.Her fingers traced the rough letters carved into the locket, which was still in her hand “Keep Going Strong”.